Modern Jewish Literature (279-0-1)
Topic
It's Complicated: Love Stories in Hebrew Literatur
Instructors
Guy Erlich
Crowe, 5-167
Office Hours: Wednesday 1:00 - 2:00
Guy Ehrlich (Ph.D., Tel Aviv University, 2021) is a postdoctoral fellow at the Crown Family Center for Jewish and Israel Studies at Northwestern University. Previously, he was an Einstein Foundation postdoctoral fellow at the Department of Hebrew Literature at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. His Ph.D. dissertation is a monographic study of Israeli author Yehudit Hendel (1921-2014). He is interested in modern Hebrew literature, Israeli culture, gender studies, and feminist and queer theory. His articles were published in "Mikan: Journal for Literary Studies" (2019), "Jewish Social Studies" (2020), "Ot: A Journal of Literary Criticism and Theory" (2021), and "Shofar" (forthcoming, 2024). His book manuscript – titled "The Empty Places of Yehudit Hendel" – has recently won the Yaacov Bahat Prize for Best Original Scholarly Book Manuscript in Hebrew and is forthcoming with Haifa University Press (2024).
Meeting Info
Kresge Centennial Hall 2-331: Mon, Wed 11:00AM - 12:20PM
Overview of class
Whether as a dangerous rival of traditional Jewish life or the only escape from the cruel, alienated modern world, love has always been a preoccupation in modern - and post-modern - Hebrew literature and culture. This course seeks to observe the various depictions of the notion of "love" from the early 20th century onwards, as captured in Hebrew novels, short stories, films, and other cultural representations. What stories do Hebrew and Israeli culture tell us about love? What kinds of love (and sexualities) does it portray? And why does it seem that even the greatest love stories must be painful and complicated? The eruption of love and its decline; the excitement of desire revealing itself and the disappointment in the (inevitable?) failure that follows; the diasporic Jewish men's complex attitude toward Eros and the suffering of the abandoned wives of the shtetl; the gendered roles and the queer alternatives; the excitement, the anticipation, the pain and the melancholy - these are some of the themes that the course will explore. During the course we will read literary texts from Shmuel Yosef Agnon, Yosef Haim Brenner, Dvora Baron, Yehudit Hendel, Orly Castel-Bloom, Alon Hilu and others. We will also watch some recent Israeli films/TV shows. The literary discussions will be accompanied by relevant theoretical texts. No previous knowledge of Hebrew, Israel or Judaism is required! All the Hebrew prose texts will be read in translation.
Registration Requirements
No registration requirements.
Learning Objectives
• Provide a broad knowledge of Hebrew and Israeli literature.
• Acquire tools to examine and interpret literary texts.
• Acquire knowledge of literary and critical theory.
• Develop critical reading and thinking.
• Encourage active engagement in class discussions.
• Develop writing, collaboration, and interpersonal communication skills.
Evaluation Method
Attendance/Class participation: 20%
Papers: 30%
Final Paper: 50%
Class Materials (Required)
Materials will be provided by the instructor.
Class Attributes
Literature & Fine Arts Distro Area